1. Field
The present invention relates to an electronic commerce system and method using the Internet, and more particularly, to a system and method for storing a unique number in a customer information DB and actual customer information corresponding to the unique number in an integrated customer information DB, and, upon receipt of a request for customer information from an external terminal, providing the unique number stored in the customer information DB, and providing the actual customer information corresponding to the unique number under a security condition, in processing customer information received from customer terminals connected via the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent development of the Internet has led to an increase in electronic commerce for on-line purchase of goods. Such electronic commerce has branched out from household goods and electronic products to include a wide variety of goods.
The electronic commerce has been developed from an enhanced communication network, and particularly, to provide other benefits that sellers and buyers cannot obtain in traditional transaction systems.
That is, sellers need no store or separate large warehouse for goods storage, thus reducing facility budget and lowering the price of goods, and buyers can conveniently shop without the trouble of visiting a store and purchase goods at a lower price.
In an on-line shopping mall website performing such electronic commerce, when a customer purchases goods or services on the Internet, personal information of the customer is input on a web browser for goods delivery, service execution and payment, the input personal information of the customer is encrypted, and payment information is sent to a credit card company or bank. Simultaneously, detailed information on the customer (seller or buyer) such as purchase content, an address, a telephone number and the like, are sent to a server of the shopping mall web site over the Internet. When the customer subscribes as a member, personal information of the customer is stored in a customer database (DB) of the server.
In general, when a customer subscribes as a member, personal information of the customer that is written and sent on a web browser of a customer terminal includes, for example, an ID, a password, a name, an address, a telephone number, and a resident registration number, which are required by most shopping mall sites. The personal information may selectively include a company name, a position in the company, a cell phone number, and hobbies.
The customer subscribes as a member and the personal information of the customer is stored in the customer DB interworking with the server of the web site performing electronic commerce, as described above. When the customer additionally purchases or sells goods or services over the Internet, the personal information of the customer is output on a web browser of a customer terminal for convenience of the customer, so that the customer need only write a type or number of goods. This overcomes inconvenience of directly writing the personal information of the customer.
However, when the customer DB of the electronic commerce website with low security is hacked by a hacker, that is, when personal information of customers, i.e., information such as an address, a resident registration number, and a credit card number are defenselessly leaked in one hacking operation, a broker performing electronic commerce with the customers may be severely damaged. Accordingly, both sellers and buyers are reluctant to store personal information of customers in the server.
To resolve this problem, a variety of schemes of protecting customer information in electronic commerce have been developed. A recent severe problem is high probability of leakage of customer information provided when the customer information is requested by a seller terminal or a delivery authority.
Also, as electronic commerce using mobile terminals increases, there have been efforts to reduce a data transmission amount.